I’ve been waiting weeks to finally announce…
We’re going to welcome Baby #3 in October.
I made that sign above for my shop and it’s sold like crazy in the last month…lots of Fall babies are coming.
With my previous 2 pregnancies, I documented a lot and am glad I did because it’s neat to go back and read and see pictures. I’m not sure how much I’ll keep up with it this time around, but I’ll try to update as often as possible (I did weekly with the boys).
I thought I’d answer the most frequently asked questions I get and then give an update on how the first trimester was for me.
Q: Was this planned? (after seeing a bit of surprise on our face)
A: In short, yes. I have been on the fence for over a year about whether or not to have a third. I grew up with a big family so 2 seemed small and Ryan really wanted a third child, so those two things kept my mind open. In late 2016, we said, if January (2017) comes and I am still undecided, then I think we’ll just stop preventing and see what happens. Well, January comes and I still wasn’t 100% no. Next thing we knew, at the end of January I was taking a pregnancy test! This is where the shock comes in…it took us 5 months to get pregnant with Maddox and I just assumed that would be the case again (if we were even lucky). Needless to say, we jumped right over that fence and were all in!
Q: Are you trying for a girl/Do you want a girl?
A: Despite research (there are a ton of studies on how to have a girl/boy) , I think God gives you which gender you are designed to have. Did we have a third for a girl? No. That would be terrible if I only had a 3rd baby to have a girl and it wasn’t a girl. I asked myself before trying, “if you have a boy, would you still try for a third?” and obviously we did, so girl/boy, we wanted a third. Now, I would absolutely love to have a girl and experience something totally different. I love the relationship I have with my mom and that is the #1 reason I’d want a girl. On the flip side, there is just something so cool about being a boy mom (all boys). I can’t explain it, but those boys… This brings me to my next question…
Q: Do you have a feeling of what you’re having?
A: Yes, I’m almost fully confident this baby is a BOY! This pregnancy is almost exactly similar to Maddox’s. Heart rate is exactly the same as Beckham’s. And I have this gut feeling it’s a boy. I was so sure with Beckham (#1) that he was a boy and he was…I was not as sure with Maddox (#2) but did lean towards the boy side. And now, I’m even more confident than I was with Beckham. Maybe it’s because I already have 2 boys and the thought of a girl is foreign, but we will see.
Those are the top 3 things I get asked. We actually already have the gender results (we did the genetic testing at 10 weeks that is new), but they are sealed away in an envelope. We have a gender reveal idea and just have to square it away before we find out. We will know this week though (maybe even today). I will post the video on my Instagram when we find out.
FIRST TRIMESTER:
I usually answer the set of questions below each week, so I’ll continue that tradition:
How far along? 12 weeks 4 days…due date is October 7th! I was 11 days early with B (#1) and 4 days early with M (#2), so I’m expecting this one to come a bit early. Considering my babies are ginormous at birth, I’m okay with an earlier birth date.
Total weight gain/loss? 0 pounds. I’m starting off way heavier than I was with either of the boys, so my weight gain should be a lot smaller than before. I usually don’t gain anything in the first trimester because I don’t feel like eating much.
How big is baby? Size of a lime.
Stretch marks? Not yet (I have a few from Maddox’s pregnancy though that are pretty faded)
Sleep? All day. Every day! The biggest difference from the last 2 pregnancies and this one is extreme fatigue. Fatigue that is debilitating! If you’ve followed my blog for any time at all, you know I’m not a sleeper in general. I don’t take naps, that’s for sure. I was averaging at least 1 nap a day…I would put on a show for the boys and close my eyes for 20-30 minutes. One day, I even took 3 naps. I’m still pretty tired, but not “narcolepsy” type of tired.
Fitness? I was working out 3-5 days a week before getting pregnant. Fatigue kept me from working out…I only managed to workout twice in 6 weeks! I’m forcing myself back to the gym and my biggest goal for this pregnancy is to continue working out till the end. I’m doing cardio and weights as before. So far, my weight training is the same, but I’m sure it will change a bit as I get bigger. I remember I couldn’t even walk towards the end of my last pregnancy because I had no shoes to fit my fat feet in…I was literally so swollen, I couldn’t fit my feet in athletic shoes. 🙂
Best moment this week? Seeing our little tot in the sonogram! 12 weeks is my favorite week because you can really see everything moving so clearly. I was pretty nervous going in and just wanted to see a heart beat, so that little pitter patter was the most amazing thing to see.
Miss anything? Deli turkey…I want Jimmy Johns! And a cold margarita. Summer has arrived in Texas (it’s really Spring, but 80 degrees or higher is summer in my book), so a margarita on the patio with chips and salsa sounds pretty good. I also miss my workout supplements. Supplements aren’t FDA approved, so it’s not recommended during pregnancy.
Food cravings? More like food aversions – hot coffee and meat, particularly grilled chicken. I think it’s more preparing anything that doesn’t sound appetizing. I forced myself to make a cup of coffee the other day (my favorite way to do my Bible study) and it was good, so maybe it’s just the getting it ready?? I really don’t want much to eat and few things sound appetizing, but have craved more sugar than anything. Oh and potatoes! I want baked potatoes and grilled corn on the cob!
Anything making you queasy or sick? Lots made me queasy from about week 6 to week 11…like standing or just being 🙂 Never to the point of throwing up though. This symptom was very similar to pregnancy #2.
Current Symptoms? Tired and queasy in first trimester. I’m not sure I have time to notice much else.
Belly button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Mood? Moody 🙂 Hormones got me a little irritable.
I AM planning on doing another VBAC this round as that was a much better recovery, despite the difficult birth. I’m hoping this baby has a much easier time coming out 😉
In order to make this birth a lot easier than last (hopefully), I’m going to be getting adjusted (chiropractic adjustments). Anyone I’ve talked to says it helped tremendously with birth compared to their births without it.
The boys are really excited about a baby. Well, Maddox (2.5) isn’t as excited as Beckham (5). B is so pumped and is really hoping for a girl! He says we have too many boys in our family. It’s 3 to 1 and it needs to even up better 🙂 So logical. Having a child who understands what is happening is really cool. I didn’t think he’d be that excited, so it’s cool to see. He told his teachers the minute we told him (at 6 weeks after our sono). The age gaps between the boys are 2 years 7 months and will be 3 years 3 months between #2 and #3. And B will be in Kinder (this was a big reason we waited till January to make our decision..he’s a lot to handle).
So there you have it! 2017 will be an exciting year. I can’t believe I’ll be a mama to 3. Mamas who have had 3 pregnancies, please tell me you started showing earlier?!?! I mean this picture is almost identical to my 20 week with #1…yikes!
I plan on wearing this dress (it’s maternity) for each picture so I can see the growth better.
Any of you out there get adjusted with your pregnancies? Love to hear what you thought about it.
So happy for you ! And after my first I started showing the second I was pregnant.! And during my pregnancy with Harrison I had horrible back problems and saw a chiropractor throughout the entire pregnancy and it was amazing and my delivery with harrison was the easiest out of the 5! I’m so happy for you and your family !!!
Thanks Kimm! Yay, yay, yay! Hoping this one is much easier.
Congratulations, Olivia!!! I’m so excited for your family!
Thanks Erika. You’ll have to give me all the tips for 3 kiddos!
Congratulations! I’ve been reading your blog since I had my 3rd…who was born two weeks before Maddox. I looked exactly like you at 12 weeks so you’re just fine! And the chiropractor saved during pregnancy and especially afterwards with all of the baby wearing. Congrats again!!
Oh good! I love hearing about the difference a chiro makes! And glad to know you looked the same with your third. 🙂 I need to find a good contraption for baby wearing…I’ve never been a baby wearer, but figure this third one will live on my chest.
Congratulations!! How exciting! I started showing earlier with each pregnancy. My 3rd was by far my easiest and I was able to work out until the bitter end! Did my last T-25 workout at 38 weeks. I found being so active kept me from putting on too much weight, kept my digestive tract moving (if you know what i mean ;)) and cut my return to pre-pregnancy weight IN HALF! I was back town in 5mo as opposed to almost a year with the other two.
Good luck with everything!!
That is super encouraging Margaret! I sure hope I can work out that late. I feel if I stay consistent in the beginning, I won’t give up. I totally agree that what you do during pregnancy and how you start off really effect the way you recover.
Congratulations!! I hope you continue to feel well, and can fit in all the naps you need!
Thanks Amy. Summer should be a good time to find rest since Ryan is home more.
Congratulations! My husband and I are pregnant with our third child. We are due August 24th. We already have a girl(almost 7) and a boy(almost 4), we are not finding out this time. I am curious, did your doctor give you the option to have the gender/genetics testing at 10 weeks or did you request it? My doctor never mentioned this, but I have noticed more people finding out earlier and earlier what they are having. I don’t go for my anatomy sonogram until 21 weeks.
Congratulations Kelly! If I had a boy and a girl, I think I would wait too…something different. Although I sure do like knowing beforehand. And yes, my doctor offered it to me, but didn’t say it was necessary if that makes sense. I remember doing a genetic testing with my first one at 12 weeks but they didn’t say I could find out gender so I’m not really sure why (it was a blood test as well). For both pregnancies before I had to wait till the 20 week sonogram too (they didn’t have the test before then). I wonder if some offices are licensed with that group and some not (it’s an outside lab that does the testing).
Congrats! How exciting!
Thank you Jen
Congratulations!!! So happy for you 🙂
Thank you Hillary!
Congratulations! So VERY exciting! I am due with my 2nd on October 17, 2017. I am definitely already showing and thinking – is it too early to break out my maternity clothes?!
I got adjusted during my first pregnancy because I had a rib that kept popping out of place. My OB/Gyn actually recommended the chiropractor in Addison – so it was a bit of a haul to get there, but it was DEFINITELY worth it. I’m not sure if it helped with delivery since I have nothing to compare it to, but I plan on finding a chiropractor closer to home this time. Worth every visit.
Oh October babies! Love it! I totally want to wear maternity clothes but for some reason feel so embarrassed to 🙁 So good to hear about your adjustments. Where do you live…Addison is where my parents live. If you need recommendations for chiropractors, our friend knows a ton since he’s going to school for it now (my husband also loves the one here in McKinney).
We moved to Rowlett from Richardson last year. Would love recommendations for Northeast Dallas/Richardson/Plano area! Thanks!! (P.S. Nobody will know they’re maternity pants unless you tell them!!)
I’ll ask my chiro for some recs (I’m assuming you meant this).
Congratulations!!! I saw a chiropractor during my second pregnancy and it was life changing! I loved her so much and will definitely see her again for all the rest of my babies!
Oh good. I had my first session and it wasn’t as bad as I thought.
I’m so happy for you Olivia! I bet the boys will just love having a new sibling! I’m excited to read about all your pregnancy updates. I hope you have a happy and healthy pregnancy .
Thanks Susie. B is super excited and I cannot wait to watch him through this…especially with a girl…he needs some softening. 🙂
I’m so happy for you! Congrats! I loooooove your pregnancy posts…my fav! I’m on the “fence” myself and my two have reached preschool and I want one more baby and experience! God is good : )
Thank you so much! I’m sure I’ll be in a fog for the first few months after she’s born, but I know that time passes quickly and this pregnancy has already been so different in the sense that I’m savoring every bit of it knowing it’s our last. I know I’ll be the same once she gets here too.
Congrats! I have two boys myself (definitely no third for me). I started reading your blog while planning a baseball first birthday party for my oldest who is now three and a half. My boys are 22 months apart and I was showing a lot earlier with the second. Probably around 10-12 weeks I thought it was noticeable. I tried for a vbac with my second and visited a chiropractor. Though I still ended up with a C section I enjoyed the chiropractic visits. They helped with the round ligament pain that I didn’t really realize I had until I left the office and felt so good! Congratulations again and good luck!
Congrats!!!! How very exciting!!!